It’s Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

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– 1 –

Sonia, who emerged from the Dungeon Lord’s room, murmured to herself as if making a vow.

“Lies…”

However, she quickly realized that she herself wasn’t convinced by those words.

It was no wonder, as that calm expression did not seem like someone who would tell a lie at all.

The Dungeon Lord knows not deceit.

Even if there are those who do, they wouldn’t mock their prisoners with lies while overwhelming them. They would rather resort to cruel torture and murder.

[Just as you see other beasts.]

Although she had witnessed adventurers being killed after being captured here, according to her words, those were ultimately prey and enemies.

Denying the killing of such beings was no different from negating a living creature’s principle of survival, and the wise Sonia understood that.

Perhaps being alive to that woman was not much different from the way humans raise pets or livestock.

“But… if that isn’t a lie…”

Angelita, or rather Libertus, was born into solitude, and she had said she lived alone in this vast dungeon.

Moreover, she had spoken.

[The Dungeon Lord takes on the form of the first being summoned.]

Yet, unlike undead wretches, not evil like demons, nor wild like green skins, she did not behave recklessly.

Though they had been captured through trickery, her subsequent attitude had even been rather gentlemanly.

Then where had such a deceitful, intelligent, and sometimes kind demeanor been learned?

As far as she knew, there could only be one teacher capable of enabling a newly born Dungeon Lord to trick people so easily and gain profit…

‘Only humans.’

If the Dungeon Lord’s first encounter had not been through ‘summoning,’ but rather an actual meeting with someone, would she not have become such a being?

So Sonia speculated.

And that human was not in this dungeon now. Or rather, perhaps they could be, but at least not in the ‘ordinary human form’ they once had.

They must have taught Libertus ‘betrayal’ in some way.

‘Born of a demon, yet ultimately a monster created by human betrayal.’

The assumption of that being who had shown her the sun of new hope, only to take that hope away again, became a certainty for Sonia.

That thought was chilling and sorrowful.

– 2 –

When the adventurers lost to the Dungeon Lord and were confined in the restraining cage, they trembled at the thought that they would all be cruelly tortured and killed.

Though it had faded over time, the rumors about Dungeon Lords among those who torture and kill humans had been a long-standing legend for 200 years.

Moreover, this legend was a story about ‘real Dungeon Lords,’ so the fear that this Dungeon Lord could be one of those beings was quite immense.

Because of that, the resentment of those hired by Maria ultimately directed toward one person.

“She betrayed us. That’s for sure.”

Sonia.

A novice mage but incredibly powerful, using attack magic learned from the Dungeon Lord.

And currently the only person not in this prison.

“Right. She was always next to the Dungeon Lord. That woman!”

“That powerful strength must have been gained from the Dungeon Lord’s power. She must have sweet-talked her way through!”

“Thinking about it, it’s strange she survived alone. She must have sacrificed her companions to come back!”

Sometimes, people want to find someone to direct their anger at.

As if proving that, these three adventurers were sharing stories and persuading each other to grow their fury.

“Sonia wouldn’t do that!”

Of course, many did not believe that.

Those who originally knew Sonia.

Maria, Leonis, and Robin among the employers knew that she struggled even to defeat a single beast or monster while managing to buy the potions she needed and using some of the leftovers to help those around her, recognizing her as a weak and kind person.

Leonis Den, who was captivated by her behavior, felt this even more.

“How kind of a person Sonia is…!”

“Mage! You’ve been deceived! Look at this mess! She’s the only one left alive outside!”

“Yeah! We’re going to die! Damn those who eat people…!!”

Normally, it was hard to meet the eyes of a high-ranking mage.

But now, it was easy to oppose Leonis, who had his powers sealed and was in the same position as them.

Feeling a delusion that someone thought highly of was now at eye level. The hidden jealousy within their interactions burst forth.

Smack!!

“Cough…! What the hell…!”

The more emotions escalated, the rougher their actions became, and it was natural.

“Damn mage! Did you agree to survive by sticking close to her? That’s why you’re taking sides!”

“Thinking about it, if your group had properly surveilled the enemy’s forces, there wouldn’t have been any need for us to come in!”

“What the hell are you talking about! Selling people to a Dungeon Lord! That can’t be… Besides, our guild’s magic focuses on detecting traps and locations in the dungeon…!”

“Shut up!!”

Bam! Thud!

If those who knew Sonia had sided with Leonis, they wouldn’t have reached this point.

However, Maria Olas was too absorbed in her own heartbreak to pay attention to others, and Daniel Smith was too preoccupied with taking care of her, leaving the last one to just observe, which led to this situation.

“What are you doing?!”

“Sonia! You shouldn’t come now…”

The flame of that emotion momentarily subsided when Sonia appeared with food for them.

Though it was only one meal a day, the Dungeon Lord provided a surprisingly plentiful meal for the prisoners, allowing for just a bit of anger to pause in front of that food.

Of course, that moment was brief. The target of their rage was right before them.

“You damn woman…!!”

“I won’t be able to close my eyes in death unless I kill that woman!”

“Look at her… hasn’t she already sucked our strength dry?!”

“She’s practically a witch already!”

Since being captured by the Dungeon Lord, Sonia too had her magical powers sealed. She became a body that could not use magic almost permanently.

However, that seal brought about an unexpected effect for her, which was ‘beauty enhancement.’

Freed from the state where her physical growth and recovery were suppressed by magic, Sonia began to regain her health by eating the Dungeon Lord’s abundant food, rapidly becoming more beautiful.

How that appearance would appear in the eyes of others was obvious.

“No! Sonia was just temporarily suppressed because she can’t use magic…”

“Shut up!”

Smack!!

“Stop it! What are you doing to my senior!”

Finally freed from the perplexity through rage, Sonia stepped into the room.

And Jacob, who kicked Leonis, who was trying to approach her, and Kyunghan, who raised a hand towards her.

“This damn woman…!”

Thump!

– Snap.

Had the Dungeon Lord not assigned her a guard “Axe,” Sonia would have faced quite a hassle.

Of course, that wouldn’t have helped to clear the misunderstanding about Sonia.

“Ah…”

The massive skeleton over two meters tall had an imposing presence that could overwhelm unarmed individuals simply by its size.

As the people fell silent at his appearance, they slowly stepped back to avoid provoking the skeleton, allowing Sonia to attend to Leonis.

However, the very person who needed treatment ended up asking the question he should not have asked.

“Sonia… no, right?”

“… Yes?”

“This isn’t something you want to be doing, right? That woman, no, that monster is forcing you…”

Seeing the skeleton guard, he almost lost his sanity from the people’s violence and could not restrain the despair washing over him.

“If you remain obedient, master will…”

Sonia wanted to give them some hope, and as a response to him, she let that slip from her lips.

Unaware of her mistake.

“… Master?”

‘Teacher, Mentor’ is a title that can be used for anyone. It’s a common term for someone who teaches you something.

However, ‘Master’ was different.

In the guild, there exists one Grand Master and his assistants, tutors, and apprentices. Thus, changing mentors was practically equivalent to leaving the guild.

And that guild was the only connection between Leonis and Sonia.

All the memories and stories they shared.

Before she could even finish her sentence, Leonis interrupted her. Shock was evident in his eyes and expression.

Sonia realized her mistake, her face bearing an expression of ‘oh no’. Seeing that, Leonis felt as if the world was crumbling around him.

“… No, right?”

“… Ah.”

“No, right? Sonia. No?”

Ultimately, Sonia had confessed with her own mouth that she had unilaterally left the guild.

Cutting ties with Leonis for a new relationship.

And Sonia did not know how to deceive with sweet lies.

“… No. That’s right. I have decided to take that person as my master.”

“Why…?”

“Because…”

Sonia, unable to meet Leonis’s gaze, turned away. His once void eyes now looked at her as if they were empty, similar to how she had felt earlier.

Ironically, even the magic she learned from Rita that was healing him.

“No! What are you going to do with us! You cut off the conversation! Tell us that story and leave!!”

As Sonia hurriedly left after a simple healing, Kyunghan’s voice echoed from behind her, but no one turned to look at him.

“Remia…”

“… Sigh.”

Only Maria’s hollow mutterings, longing for her lost sister, and Daniel’s empty sighs, who had spent nights caring for her until now, came through.

After that, they could no longer see Sonia.

Not because she didn’t come.

– Snap!

“Is that what you mean?”

Because one by one, they were called out.

– 3 –

I had intentionally left Sonia to be taken care of, fearing that if I didn’t, she would quickly break down, and an incident occurred far quicker than I thought.

It was simply because there was a shortage of rooms at the moment, and given a little time, they would have naturally separated.

Though from what I heard, Kyunghan had probably taken the lead, having never particularly liked Maria.

Maria and Daniel were likely too stressful for him to handle.

While I understood all the situations, there was something I could not overlook.

“It seems you were trying to say something unnecessary, Sonia.”

“… I’m sorry, Master.”

Trying to speak carelessly about my intentions to them.

I had never said I wouldn’t kill them. I merely mentioned that I would ‘make useful use of them.’

Perhaps her mind assumed that to be useful, they must be alive.

“I think a punishment is in order.”

A minor contract is still a contract.

Though it can’t compare to the true contract that would alter her body to fit the dungeon, the weight of that minor contract would feel all the more significant under the risk to Leonis’s life.

So it would be better to use that punishment as a means of helping her instead.

Coincidentally, she had a weakness she needed to overcome.

“Go to Eve. I will assign you five skeleton guards to accompany you from now on.”

She was afraid of skeletons and undead. It wasn’t hard to understand, but it wasn’t a weakness I could leave unaddressed.

“Master? That….”

“It’s for your own good to adapt early, if you want to live here.”

“… Understood.”

Her face turned pale with fear, but despite a brief rebellion, there was no further argument.

Whether she realized that I was correct, I didn’t know.

“Well then, I will carry out my orders.”

“Right. I hope you adapt quickly.”

After Sonia bowed deeply and stepped back, I resolved to first tackle one of the two pressing tasks at hand, not dealing with the trio connected to Sonia, but with the other adventurers.

I had originally intended to deal with them quickly before Sonia caused any trouble, but now I was just speeding things up.

Handling something easy and quick before dealing with the more complex matters was my long-held habit since Earth.

“Who’s there?”

– Snap.

No door was available, so as I entered, a skeleton carrying a crossbow on its back and several daggers on its waist approached me.

It was ‘Mire’, created by the archer Remia.

As I nodded at her, she knelt and sat back on her heels, waiting for my instructions.

That it was her who had come in after Sonia left was a bitter irony; a twist of fate…

No.

“Remia.”

She flinched.

Both her kneeling posture and alertness disrupted for a moment.

It was a scene that could prove the hypothesis of what happens when a strong-willed person becomes undead.

Since she hadn’t signed a contract while alive and having become an undead, she couldn’t resist the necromancer, but remnants of her former self still lingered.

The information comprising her current state and potential future.

What had been absorbed into the core were the unnecessary elements for her creation and growth as ‘Mire.’

But the important memories tied to the experiences and soul fragments of the living Remia remained in her.

Though they were merely potential for now.

“Do as you please, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your work.”

– Snap.

“But there’s nothing good about revealing this to her.”

– Snap.

So that’s why she was watching over Sonia.

I briefly contemplated whether or not to inform Sonia of this, yet decided on maintaining silence. There was no need to induce a hope that might not even materialize.

Of course, if it became too hard for her, that would warrant some reconsideration.

“… Information.”

『Name – Mire』

『Attributes – Stamina 7 Agility 15 Defense 6 Magic 9 Resistance 5』

Before returning to the original matter, I checked her current stats; although lesser compared to Eve, there was still notable improvement from before.

The results of diligent hunting and strengthening.

The most outstanding ability was ‘Agility,’ which had completely surpassed her level during her lifetime. Goblins, it seems, inherently have higher agility than other attributes, making that attribute rise exceptionally well when used as sacrifices.

Thanks to that, Mire now handled crossbows and daggers even better than she did in her past life.

‘It would be great if I could bestow some nice trait here…’

Coincidentally, I had a method in mind to attempt this this time.

To identify it, the first sacrifice should be the one named Kyunghan.

“There should be someone named Kyunghan among those captured. Bring him here. And don’t forget to take a few soldiers with you.”

He was the one who had caused this issue. The Tracker Kyunghan.